How to heat a damp cupboard?

Ponkle22

Is it possible to heat a cupboard (used as a wardrobe)? Its on a north east facing wall. The walls get mouldy/damp and it smells not only in the cupboard but in the entire bedroom.

Is it possible to heat a cupboard and if so how do you so that cheaply and safely?

Owain_Moneysaver

An electric tubular heater with a guard. Make sure clothes can't fall on it.

Improving the ventilation in the cupboard so it's not colder than the rest of the room will also help a lot.

samtheman1k

Put some ventilation in the doors/sides/top should reduce the condensation.

suki1964

We also use these in a walk in where the corner was prone for damp and mould
http://www.shop.express.co.uk/i-hh-dhm100/?LinkRef=F.R

Those, increasing air circulation and heating have all helped with perhaps not curing the problem but do stop the mould and damp smell

Ponkle22

Thank you both for your replies! I will look into all those options - really grateful. Will heating and ventilation alone sort the dampness/mould? Will putting some vents in the doors of the cupboard and some heating in the colder weather be enough to combat the damp and corner of mould?

Ponkle22

Oops, just realised three of replied, not two, so thanks to all three of you! :beer::beer::beer:

Suki - the cupboard mini dehumidifier is a brilliant idea - didn't know such things existed! :beer:

Owain_Moneysaver

If it's a built in wardrobe then lining the exterior walls with insulating material will also help, as it raises the temp of the cold wall above the dew point when condensation occurs. Something like Marmox board isn't cheap but a cupboard would be a fairly small area to have to do.

Errata

If you want a cheap fix, take all the clothes out and leave the door open until it's dried out, then leave the door open when you're not in that room.

grahamc2003

Ponkle22 wrote: »

Oops, just realised three of replied, not two, so thanks to all three of you! :beer::beer::beer:

Suki - the cupboard mini dehumidifier is a brilliant idea - didn't know such things existed! :beer:

Let us know how you get on with the mini dehumidifier. I'd say it's thirty quid down the drain.

To sort out damp from condensation or lack of evaporation from the other side of the wall (which yours seems to be), you need to lower the humidity of the air in your cupboard. That means either ensuring the air is replaced regularly by drier air, or heating the air so it holds more water, or preferably both. Once dry, your mould will disappear.

I'd say get the clothes out before the damp ruins them, then stick a fan heater in the cupboard for half an hour, then leave the doors open (I assume the rest of the room is warm). Do that two or three times a day for a couple of weeks and I'd expect the outside wall in the cupboard to be dry, and the mould gone.

(You can't really do it much quicker than that because you have to extract the moisture from the plaster and the bricks, which just takes time. Once dry, increase ventialtion and heat and it should keep dry. (Of course, if you have other problems like a drain pipe leaking over the wall outside, then that should be fixed first).

carefullycautious

You must keep the cupboard away from the wall to allow airflow around it.

Not sure if this would work for you but a friend of mine fitted a heated towel rail into a cupboard (which used to be an airing cupboard that housed the boiler which was removed for a combi in kitchen) so that she could still use as an airing cupboard. Do check out the safety of this. It is something that I may do with exactly the same type of cupboard.

This would provide warmth inside the cupboard.

I also use large plastic containers on wheels to house most of my clothes which prevents any damp from getting in.

Good luck

suki1964

You must keep the cupboard away from the wall to allow airflow around it.

I think form reading the OP post its a built in cupboard - "being used as a wardrobe" indicates that to me - could be wrong though

Let us know how you get on with the mini dehumidifier. I'd say it's thirty quid down the drain.

I wouldnt say down the drain, Id say along with increasing ventilation and heating they do help keep the problem at bay - not cure


We dont have anything external which is causing the damp and mould - just the sheer size of room and where the cupboard is. Huge room. built in wardrobe and the rads at the other end of the room - hence one corner gets very cold and damp if the doors to the wardrobe are kept shut

Now we have extra heating in the house amd we can keep that door open less we have guests the problem is solved